the help wanted sign brought down. as they wait to see if the unthinkable happens. and the united states of america reaches official deadbeat status. >> we want to hire employees. we want to grow our business. we want to spend money doing advertising. it's just give but. >> reporter: in fact, the feinbergs were at a chamber of commerce conference where two-thirds of the small businesses said they had no plans to hire in the coming year. >> everyone's scared. no one's going to make a move. >> reporter: the dow dropped 150 points on uncertainty alone. and moody's is threatening to downgrade america's credit rating before actual default, which means this month the average american could be hit hard for a second time in the decade. where's the initial damage? your 401(k) and stock portfolio. >> stock prices are going to fall, bond prices are going to fall, and you're going to notice that when you logon to your 401(k). >> reporter: after an actual default, mortgage rates. auto and student loans would jump immediately. perhaps more importantly, credit would tighten, leading to

business paralysis. what will that mean for jobs? not many new ones and pressure to cut back. >> the lack of available credit would cause companies to rapidly slash their payrolls. it could drive up unemployment even more. >> reporter: when would this all start? we have two weeks for action say many economists, who believe by the end of this month if no agreement is in sight the market plunge would begin. by the week of august 2nd, in default, credit would tighten, interest rates zoom. and by the end of august, economists predict, the nation's recovery would be making a rapid u-turn. back to recession. jim avila, abc news, new york. a raging four-alarm fire has newly destroyed a historic synagogue in new york city. heavy flames poured out of the top floor and thick smoke hung in the neighborhood. the synagogue, built in 1901, had been closed for renovations at the time of the fire. a macy's departmtmt store chain will pay a huge fine for failing to report it sold recalled children's clothing.

$750,000. the consumer product safety commission says macy's did not report the sale of sweatshirts, sweaters and jackets with draw strings over a four-year period. the clothing posed a strangulation risk and investigators say the macy's sold some of it after the national recall. bring out your dead! >> here we go with the monty python references. >> it did remind us of that iconic scene from monty python and "the holy grail." i'm not dead yet, sir! >> that's what 80-year-old helen had to tell the federal government over and over again. they stopped sending her social security checks. the federal government said they thought she was dead. >> as you can plainly see, she's not dead. helen was declared born again. at least in the eyes of the federal government. she is from washington state. >> my home state. when she looked into this, she had to call and say, what's going on? the checks aren't coming. >> they said, prove it. >> they said, here's the thing.

we have you marked as dead. since 1997. >> yeah, this has been going on for a while. can you believe it? 1 in every 200 entries in the social security database is false because of errors by federal workers. not always because somebody's presumed to be dead. whether you're alive or dead. >> according to helen she was saying it's quite difficult to prove you're still alive. >> how do you prove you're that person? >> i hope she got the back checks too. >> you would think so, that would just be faiai we'll be right back. we're alive here. we're going to keep on going. >> here's the music you were expecting. ♪ no need to call the doctor because i'm not yet dead ♪

alalright. we know driving while texting or talking on a cell phone is a dangerous combination. >> bad idea. >> it's been confirmed by study after study. they say it's the conversation, the distraction mentally, not just the physical stuff. >> we do stories all the time about accidents that happen. very, very dangerous. is there really any way to change behavior? abc's lisa stark has our exclusive report and a new study that scholls the answer is yes. >> reporter: the evidence is clear. many of us are driven to distraction. where is this driver looking? not on the road ahead. she was texting. and this trucker? cell phone in one hand, suddenly he's careening across four lanes and rolling over. >> you're being stopped because of your cell phone use. >> reporter: what would happen if police cracked down on distracted drivers?

to find out, the department of transportation helped pay for enforcement programs in hartford, connecticut, and syracuse, new york. the results are in. >> we ended up issuing over 9,000 citations for cell phone use by drivers. and we also foundnd a substanti change in behavior. >> reporter: in syracuse, the number of drivers using hand-held cell phones or texting dropped 32%. in hartford, hand-teld cell phone use dropped 57%. and texting while driving plummeted 72%. >> the key is going t t be consistent and focused, dedicated enforcement. >> reporter: at a connecticut racetrack, i tried to text and drive. my speed slowed. i hit twice as many cones. still, drivers think they can do this safely. the study scholls it takes tickets to stop talking and texting. lisa stark, abc news, washington.

>> you know, in addition to enforcement there are also apps that will prevent you from texting while driving. >> most cars you can't punch in your gps while you're driving which is a safety precaution. right now 14 states have banned texting while driving. some people, of course, you can't use a phone anyway, you can't even be holding it at a red light. as you just heard these measures are preventing accidents and deaths from this. >> 23 times more likely to crash when texting. put the phone away. keeping your eyes on the road. coming up, looking hot. speaking of being important. when it's really hot outside. >> are you saying it's important to look hot? >> i think so. that's what i've been told. >> you look hot, daniel. how to pick the right products to help you stay beautiful all summer long. >> i feel hot, that's all. >> he's hot, he's hot.

welcome back, everyone. if you haven't noticed it is telephone getting hot out there. and for women, the heat is just not ideal when it comes to staying beautiful during the summer. so joining me now with the best ways to beat the summer heat and look good doing it on a budget, that's a lot, is "shape" magazine beauty director ellen miller. all the things we need in one segment here. nice to have you again. >> thanks for having me back. we're going to tell everyone how to look hot in the heat. difficult to do but we're going to tell you a few simplee solutions. so let's start with swollen feet. >> not attractive. >> not attractive. they can rub on your sandals, they can make your shoes not fit. not a fit problem. not a pretty picture. >> it happens when it's hot. >> exactly. so first a pretty old-school remedy is to soak your feet in epsome salts. >> my grandmother had epsome salts. >> not a glamorous product but definitely a useful one.

say you don't have these around the house. an alternative is black tea. you can soak your feet in a tub of black tea. the tannins act like an astricken gent, help suck of those fluids. you can elevate your feet at night. that's really going to help. also to make sure that your feet are looking as pretty as possible you want to smooth on a cooling lotion. this is a sally hansen pedicure solution. they contain coolingng ingredies that really make your feet feel a lot better. >> staying on point too, these are not pricey. >> exactly. you can find them at the drugstore. >> we like that. moving on here. this is something i live by, especially in the summer. i am so pale by nature. so tell us about self-tanners. >> self-tanners can give you a really great glow without damaging your skin. but a lot of people get into trouble when they're out in the sun. one missed application of spf, you can end up with tan lines. what do you do about that? so this is a really amazing product. it's called the danny tan line

crackdown. all you have to do is squeeze this product and rub it over where you have a strap line, say, and that's going to help blend in your color so it looks even. say if you have to wear a strapless dress. >> this is also a drugstore item? >> yeah, you can buy that on the drugstore or on their website, solera is the company. or alternately you can scrub your skin from head to toe in the shower and then apply a head to toe coat of self-tannerr. this is from newt row gina. the micro mist airbrush system. it gives you that airbrushed look a lot of the celebrities get before they go on the cover. >> if you're used to using a cream self-tanner how is this different? >> you're going to apply this in circular motions six to eight inches away from your skin. hold it up and spritz it in circular motions. >> i do this in the shower. you can turn on the shower and get rid of it. >> exactly. >> it doesn't always smell the greatest but i don't think many self-tanners do smell great.

>> this actually smells nice and it's great because if you're by yourself, you don't have a friend to apply it to your back, you can 360, go like approximate i love it. >> now frizz. your hair gets enormous. you look like you stuck your finger in a light socket. first tip is really surprising. so the humidity can make your hair swell and fray. any split ends are going to look a heck of a lot worse. book an appointment with your stylist, get a haircut. second, while your hairs camp before you blow dry it apply a leave-in treatment. it contains argon oils, super-hot ingredient in beauty right now. it really smoothes the cuticle down. give your blow-out that really smooth look so you can really avoid that frizz. >> which is great. if you fork over the money for a blow-out that will help it last a bit longer. >> exactly right. say in my tiny apartment i hate

using hot tools in the summer sometimes. it can get really hot and toasty in the bathroom. you're sweating before you head to work. what you can do is apply -- spritz in a spray when hair is tamp and sleep with your hair in a braid or let it air dry. this is going to give you beach hair in a bottle. it's from t.g. salt spray. >> it's called a salt spray. i've never heard of that before. i do love when i've been to the beach and my hair's a little kinky. >> your hair air dries at the beach, you get that natural wave, you're going to look like gisele. >> that's all you need to say. all right. >> so shiny skin. another huge problem in the summer. you want to choose products that have a modifying effect. this is the miracle skin transformer. it's like a tinted moisturizer. it's going to give you a hint of a tint. it contains modifying ingredients that are going to sop up oil and shine. moving along to one of my favorite products is blotting paper. >> oh, good. >> these are a must have in my clutch, in my handbag, at all

times. because it so thats up oil. i'm going to show you how to do it. take it out of the little package and it contains charcoal. >> the actual paper has a little bit of charcoal in the paper. >> blot it on and all that oil transfers to the paper. totally genius product. and you never have to worry about shiny skin again. >> i love this. this could replace your powder compact that you would keep in your purse maybe. >> exactly. and you're not applying all those layers of powder. >> on a hot summer day. i love this. >> these are totally genius and how cute is the animal print? super aboardable, eight bucks. >> great alternative to powders, we love it. as usual, fantastic ideas. keep us looking so wonderful. i like it that it's all on a budget too. >> exactly. >> great to have you again. thank you so much. >> thanks so much. >> of course you can get more information on these beauty tips in the recent issue of "shape" magazine and also on wnnfans.com.

♪ you're beautiful, you're beautiful, you're beautiful it's true ♪ let me tell you about a very important phone call i made. when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement nsurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to " 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying .up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp p medicare supplement insunce. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare.

the prices are competetive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral o see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare r supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits r your needs and budget. with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually p no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep that accepts medicare. p your own doctor and hospital and best of all, these plans are... when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... as with all medicare supplement plans,

you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts # medicare, call this toll-free number now. woohoo! whoa. haircolor is a chore no more! you gotta come see what's new. c'mon! tadaaa! welcome to haircolor heaven. aa-ah-ahhh! courtesy of new nice 'n easy colorblend foam. permanent, dimensional color, now in a delightful foam! just three shakes, foam it, love it! simply saturate hair root to tip, front to back. with tones and highlights. it's foamtastic! home haircolor, make room for foam haircolor! new nice 'n easy colorblend foam. your right color. [ sound fades ] at a moment like this, i don't care if my tampons come in a little black box.

i just want them to work. tampax pearl protects better than u by kotex. [ cheering continues ] [ angie ] outsmart mother nature. only with tampax. world news now delivers your "morning papers." >> it is time for your "morning papers." i'm going to let the mom start it off. >> we're going to go ahead and talk about stay at home moms and working mothers feel equally stressed. if you're a working mom and you fant side, it would be so great if i could be a stay at home mom, i'd have so much less stress, i wouldn't feel guilty. turns out there's no happiness for nobody. >> there's the grass is greener thing going on here. >> people think that the other way is always better. but this survey interviewed 1,200 mothers and basically they say % of moms,, especially working moms, say they don't feel like their work ends when they leave the office. they get home and they're equally as stressed.

89% of stay at home moms said they don't really get any rest either. they feel overwhelmed by their duties, they feel underappreciated, they feel like they can't do it all. as a working man mom, and i feel like a stay at home mom sometimes both, you feel guilty all the time. >> and that crying, those are the producers crying, those aren't babies. >> they want me to move on. >> this is a story, this is a debate that's been going on for quite a while in a lot of places. something that mothers and fathers think about. circumcising baby boys. evidently in san francisco, in november, voters will consider whether this can be a ban. >> a ban on circumcision. and there are still two opposing views here. folk hot say that it's necessary not at all necessary and it can actually cause harm to some men. >> some people think it's just socially barbaric, that this is a horrible thing that we do. >> people feel very passionate about this. >> in europe it's really not that common. it's common in the u.s. but in

europe it's really not that common. okay, are you depressed? are you up because you're not feeling great and you sort of feel depressed and you feel like, why am i depressed? this will make you feel better. 4% to 10% of americans suffer weather-related depressions. they say suicide peaks in the summertime. so you shouldn't feel like you're out of the norm. in fact, a lot of people -- >> i'm going to stare at the lights. >> you know what i think is depressing are the depression commercials. >> right. >> where they say, are you breathing? are you hungry? are you tired? then you're depressed. >> maybe smp was depressed in this next story out of "the naples daily news." this woman apparently attacked her boyfriend because he wouldn't give her some razor blades to use while she was in the shower. >> that was me. >> guys, word to the wise, if your wife asks for razor blades give it to her. >> you don't have this argument with your wife, if she uses your razor you freak out? >> she apparently hit him with a frying pan.

is it worth isn't it. >> men hate when it you use their razor. right?

this morning on "world news now," deep divide. the president tells politicians it's time to eat their peas and get a deal on the debt crisis. >> okay. as key lawmakers head back to the white house for more talks today will they ever find compromise and common ground? it's tuesday, july 12th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning. i'm daniel sieberg in for rob nelson. >> i'm peggy bunker. both parties refuse to budge on sticking points. the gop is against tax increases and the democrats will not allow medicare cuts. the president wants an agreement before this impacts everyday americans. of course we have this looming august 2nd deadline. both sides are saying, lilisten

they have thrown down the gauntlet and they're going to stick to what they want. will this ever get resolved? >> it feels like "groundhog day" to me. we're rich in metaphors. do your homework. eat your peas. i think we'll have more of those soon. >> i line the rich in metaphors, just not rich in terms of the budget. also ahead, remembering the firefighter who fell to his death at a texas rangers game. loved ones and colleagues bid him a heartfelt good-bye. this was a very difficult story, video, to watch when you saw him at the texas rangers game. there's a bit of a back story with josh hamilton, the baseball player with the texas rangers, and we'll talk more about that. >> just tragic. he was conscious for a long time. his only concern was his son. also coming up this half hour, the first lady's pet project, fighting obesity. however, she was seen pigging out on a fast food combo platter. we've been asking you on facebook, should she be allowed to binge? this is her pet cause.

>> exactly. > lot of the first ladies, they pick an issue. >> no peas here by wait. >> we've got the burgers and the french fries. >> from shake shack. >> i think we should stand up for the first lady. she has said, everything in moderation. that sort of is her message, only splurge every once in a while. how are those cold fries by wait? >> a little cold. >> it's hard to eat a cold fry. >> not bad. >> not so good. >> i might share this with you later. >> no, you can have it. >> we'll see. first, the president's top lalaakers head back to the bargaining table again today as the debt deadline looms large. >> this is going over like a cold fry. neither side appeared to give any ground in yesterday's talks. the effects of the prolonged impasse are already being felt on main street. >> reporter: to go big or not to go big? that is the question when it comes to raising the nation's debt limit. and after another meeting at the white house, the president and congress appear no closer to a deal.

if the president and congress fail t tagree to raise the nation's debt limit, the forecasts sound almost apocalyptic. >> stock prices are going to fall, bond prices are going to fall, you're going to notice on when you logon to your 401(k). >> reporter: already family businesses like the feinbergs' bathroom fixtures company in ft. lauderdale, florida, have taken down the help wanted sign, waiting to hear if the u.s. government becomes a deadbeat. >> we want to hire employees. we want to grow our business. we want to spend money doing advertising. so it's just difficult. >> reporter: a new u.s. chamber of commerce survey says two-thirds of america's small businesses have no plans to hire in the coming year. >> everyone's scared. no one's going to make a move. >> reporter: yet after another white house meeting, it was another day without an agreement to extend the nation's credit. >> i do not see a bath to a deal if they d d't budge, period. >> the president continues to insist on raising taxes, and they're just not serious enough about fundamental entitlement reform to solve the problem for

the near to intermedidie future. it takes two to tango. and they're not there yet. >> reporter: the goal is a deal in the next couple of weeks so the law can be written before august 2ndnd. that is when the government is slated to run out of money. president obama says he won't sign a temporary extension. he wants a long-term dole that takes on entitlement reforms like social security. republicans say as long as democrats insist on new revenues at part of the deal, there is no deal. daniel and peggy? >> there are also stunning new allegations in the hacking scandal which has enveloped the murdock media empire. reporters were accused of paying queen elizabeth's bodyguards for secret information about her, potentially jeopardizing her safety. they were also accused of accessing former prime minister brown's bank account information and stealing medical records of his seriously ill son. u.s. officials say they want compensation for damage done to the u.s. embassy by syrian

demonstrators. smashing windows and spray painting walls. the attack came after the american ambassador visit the city of hama. it as story that gripped our hearts last week. we're talking about the baseball fan who went for a foul ball then fell to his death in front of his young son. >> horrifying. he was a firefighter and hundreds gathered to pay their last respects. abc's diana alvear joins us with the details. >> reporter: it was quite the sight in brownwood as shannon stone's fellow firefighters set out to prove he was so much more than just a texas rangers fan who lost his life in a tragedy. a show of respect for one of their own. more than 100 fire trucks and firefighters from all over texas made their way to brownwood to mourn 39-year-old shannon stone. >> the nature of the death, the timing of the death, the way that it happened, is still very diffffult for everyone in the family and very difficult for everyone in the community. >> reporter: the 18-year veteran firefighter was at a texas rangers game last week sitting

with his 6-year-old son cooper. when during the second inning, a foul ball was tossed into their section. >> just as the ball hit his hand, it kind of threw him off-balance and he just went head-first. >> reporter: his son cried out "daddy." and, you know -- my -- my husband grabbed the boy so he wouldn't see it. >> reporter: stone reached for it then fell over the railing. 20 feet to a concrete floor. at first he e s conscious enough to ask paramedics to check on his son. less than an hour later, he was dead. in brownwood, fellow firefighters were called a man devoted to firefighting. his community. and above all, his family. several members of the texas rangers team attended the but the player who tossed that foul ball into the stands, josh hamilton, did not. out of respect for the stone family. peggy, daniel? >> josh hamilton, he's had his own troubled past himself, professionally. he felt so horrible. >> can you imagine. >> that he tossed this ball

hoping the fan would get it. >> it's just awful. the athletics reliever, brad ziegler, witnessed the whole exchange between stone and the paramedics saying, please check on my son, my son is up there by himself. the paramedics were reassuring him saying, don't worry, we'll take a look at your son. don't you worry about that. >> turn this around. last night's home run derby game in phoenix a fan was standing on a table trying to catch a ball. you can see here he leaned over this rail. he was saved by his friends. they grabbed his legs and his arms. he did fall about 20 feet but he managed to get back into his feet. >> this isn't the first time. there's been other fatalities from this exact thing. you have to imagine going forward perhaps there will be safety nets or something. >> when is it worth it, when is it not. the white house announced that michelle obama will travel to california for first lady betty ford's funeral today. cokie roberts will deliver the eulogy. roberts said ford asked her to focus it on politics and talk about a time in washington when republicans and democrats actually hard along.

first lady roslyn carter will also speak as well as a board member of the betty ford center. to another tragic story, a florida mother and her boyfriend are now on trial after a pet python killed the woman's 2-year-old daughter. the little girl died of suffocation when the snake escaped its cage. prosecutors say the python had not been fed for a month and that it was not kept in a secure enclosure. defense attorneys say the child's death was a tragic accident. now that summer's here, millions of us are s snding more time near the ocean. beachgoers in massachusetts are a little worried about what's in the water. great white sharks. air force base's linsey davis reports on the threat along cape cod. >> reporter: they can exceed 20 feet in length. weigh more than two tons. and are the most feared predators in the ocean. great white sharks. and this summer, shark sightings are expected to be way up. >> i don't want to go in the water. >> reporter: blood-thirsty tourists are flocking to the beaches in massachusetts wanting to get up close and personal

with a real-life jaws. three great whites have already been spotted in the area in just over a week. >> my heart was racing because you never get to see them. >> reporter: local fisherman paul fong snapped these shots of a great white off his boat. >> i seen a lot of sharks, you know, fishing and tuna fishing and doing some other things out there. but never seen a great white before. >> reporter: a new study shows unprovoked shark attacks are on the rise. there were 79 in 2010. up from 63 in 2009. 42% of those attacks happened in north american waters. the majority in the united states. one reason the sharks like this area, these beaches are full of seals. >> the seal population has grown here. you just walk around and you see so many of them. and of course, seals are a food source for sharks. swimmers are being urged to be extra vigilant when they're in the water and to visit beaches

where the seals aren't around. >> be alert, be aware. if you see a shark, anything that might look like a shark, get out of the water and notify authorities. >> and get a bigger boat. parts of the midwest are in shambles after getting hammered by a powerful line of storms. winds as high as 100 miles an hour peeled back the roof of a middle school in central iowa leaving two classrooms completely exposed. the wind was so fierce it also overturned several semi trailer trucks. on that note, let's take a look at your tuesday forecast. a cooler day in the midwest but the heat wave continues from texas to new england. hail and gusty winds from portland, maine, to boston, pittsburgh, omaha, and helena, montana. monsoon rains in the four corners region. and showers in the pacific northwest and northern rockies. >> just 69 in seattle, when sounds pretty good today, as a matter of fact. and 91 in boise. phoenix and dallas hit triple digits. 80s from omaha to detroit. 91 here in new york. 98 in atlanta. and 93 in new orleans.

steamy, sticky. >> it is very hot here. good muggles weather, though. >> you'll stay warm if you're camping outside. >> a lot of people are. we're talking about the muggles that are taking manhattan. >> deed fans waited at lincoln center up to six days hoping to get a glimpse of the young wizards. it was well worth the wait for those lucky enough to get wrist bands. as they walked the red carpet for the u.s. movie premiere last night. >> "harry potter and the deathly hallows: part 2" opens nationally on friday and fans are already lining up for that. you've been camped out for what? >> i came here just to do the show. somebody's holding my place in line. a little scandal with those wrist bands that were handed out. they gave them out randomly. >> i like you in that bathrobe. >> i can use that wand when n want to. they gave out these wrist bands randomly, not in the order of when people showed up in line, which would make you kind of annoyed. >> i wish i could do that

eyebrow thing you can do. >> i'm going to wave my wand and we'll be right back. she's had these shoes a long time. they're kind of my thing. and they were looking... nasty. vile. but i used tide and tide booster, and look at them now! now they can be my thing forever. yay. that's my tide. what's yours? i use tide sport because it helps get odors out of athletic clothes. i mean, i wear my yoga pants for everything. hiking, biking, pilates... [ woman ] brooke... okay. i wear yoga pants because i am too lazy for real pants. that's my tide. what's yours? mine hurt more! mine stopped hurting faster! [ female announcer ] neosporin plus pain relief starts relieving pain faster. and kills more types of infectious bacteria. neosporin plus pain relief. kills the germs. fights the pain.

♪ 'cause band-aid®'s stuck on me ♪ [ female announcer ] speed up healing for half the tears and twice the fun with band-aid® brand and disney/pixar's cars 2. ♪ i'm stuck on band-aid® brand ♪ ♪ 'cause band-aid® helps heal me ♪

♪ i'm stuck on band-aid® brand ♪

actually, head & shoulders is for more than dandruff. it gives me a healthy scalp and great looking hair. does it do anything else for you? no? no? yes. [ male announcer ] head & shoulders.

welcome back. casey anthony will walk free in less than a week but those steps take her into a very uncertain world. these estranged from her family and has no immediate means of support. >> there are rumors of a big payday waiting for her on the other side of prison but they are just that, rumors. >> your mother will never forgive you -- >> reporter: for more than two months casey anthony sat silently in court as everyone but her told her story. now that the drill's over the question is, will casey cash in and talk to the highest bidder? what's next for casey? >> i don't know. i think that's casey's story to tell. but it's my hope that she takes the high road. >> she can pose in "playboy." she can write a book. she can become a reality star. she can make millions off dollars. >> casey, what happened?

>> reporter: even before the trial gone e ere were reports that lifetime networks had already offered casey $2 million. the network denied the claim. for now, with the public still seething over her acquittal, some movie and tv executives say they wouldn't touch casey's story with a ten-foot pole. >> she's not profitable. no one should be paying her. i would never do that. >> reporter: even a pornography producer that floated a deal starring casey tells tmz they're now pulling back on that offer. >> boycott all books and movies. >> reporter: a facebook page called boycott casey anthony deals. >> i think an idea that a sane civilization could consume product of a woman from such extraordinarily dubious character is enough to make yone nauseous. >> reporter: and it won't be easy for casey once she leaves jail. she's already turned her back on her mother, refusing her jailhouse visit last friday. so until casey can turn her

story into a paycheck, she'll likely be on high pressure own. ashleigh banfield, abc news, new york. >> there's a lot of likenesses. many people are saying, is this going to be sort of like the o.j. thing where really the developments in terms what was she does with her life never really end, it's just more twists and turns of what happens to her. >> he came out with that book "why i did it." eventually it was canceled, the book was taken off the shelves. >> also money that's to be made here possibly. >> right. we'll see. >> all in pretty poor taste i would say. when we return a story of medical mystery and generosity. >> did centers around a man from central america and his ten-pound tumor. how about this. guess who came to the rescue? all that is coming up next.

welcome back. so many of you are probablbl watching us from bed or maybe

the couch. but imagine if you couldn't lie in your bed or couch or even sit in a chair. >> that was the scary reality for a guatemalan man who had a ten-pound tumor on his hip roughly the size of a soccer ball. that was the case until some michigan doctors gave him a new lease on life. >> reporter: just three weeks ago, an act as simple as sitting in a chair would not have been possible for fernando who we were able to speak with through a translator, claudia ariano. >> translator: thank you. thanks to everybody. did a great job. >> reporter: for more than a decade his malignant tumor grew on his hip, making it difficult for this husband and father to make a living in his small guatemalan village. >> translator: i'd gotten heavier. i started to feel bad. i couldn't carry stuff. i couldn't work. >> reporter: fernando hadn't worked for more than a year when staff members from synergy medical in saginaw met him during a mission trip.

>> poorr guy had a broomstick a his cane. and just sort of hobbled along. couldn't provide for his family. he had five young children. and it was just one of those things where you had to helpp him. >> reporter: fast forwardd a fe months and fernando was on a plane headed to covenant health care where dr. anthony de barry agreed to perform the surgery for free. >> the skills that we've been given have been given to us for a purpose from god. >> reporter: it took just two hours on the operating tibble to reverse more than a decade of pain. >> to see him now getting around and smiling and happy, obviously, that's pretty rewarding. >> reporter: doctors' orders mean taking it easy for three months. but after that, doctors are hopeful fernando will be able to provide for his family once again by farming and fishing. >> think he's got a special place in all of our hearts that helped him out with this. at the end of the day i think i've learned more from him than he's probably learned from this whole experience. >> translator: they did a great

job for me. for my health. >> great story. coming up, what would you do if you saw the nation's number one obesity fighter ordering a fast food combo platter? ♪

♪ i'd do anything for you dear ♪ anything cause you mean everything to me ♪ ♪ i'd know that i'd go anywhere ♪ ♪ for your smile ♪ anywhere ♪ yes i'd do anything ♪ anything for you ♪

♪ cheeseburger in pair ties michelle obama has made the fight against childhood obesity her cause since moving into the white house. now the first lady has been caught pigging out to the tune of more than 1,500 calories for one meal. >> if you only do it once in a while is it really considered pigging out? that's the question. michelle was caught eating at a newly opened shake shack in washington, d.c. where she's previously admitted to having an obsession with french fries. it's okay to indulge in moderation. here's what she ate. she had the burger. >> classic shake shack burger.

>> was there cheese, bacon? >> that would make a difference, absolutely. the fries, of course. and the classic shake shack shake. all that totals about 1556 calories. so it's been our question of the day. wnnfans.com. peggy's business right now. and a lot of folks have weighed in. i think we've gotten almost a record number. >> no pun intended. speaking of weighing in. >> that was purely by accident. so the response is are fairly split. i would say overall, having sifted through some of the responses here, it's basically -- most folks are saying you've got to give people a break. even if you're going to try to stay on a particular diet, every once in a while you get a cheat day or it's hard to stay with it forever. >> i would say a lot of my day is kind of a cheat day for the most part. bridget says, she doesn't eat like this daily, i don't think so, everybody has greasy/comfort/sugar days which i think is michelle obama's whole point, that you should not eat like this on a regular basis, you should not make the drive-through your stop on the way home.

i'm with the first lady, every once i ia while you've got to have your thing. >> the cheat meal. i will say there are people -- >> i was thinking of pancakes. >> along with this. >> i would have a thing of pancakes every day. >> there are folks who would say it's not setting a good example, that she's out there telling people to eat balanced meals -- >> that's ridiculous. you tell people you can never, ever have this, you can never, ever have french fries and your shake -- >> that becomes like a serious craving. >> that's all you want. so that's why every once in a while it's good to hold the cravings at bay. by the way, ginger writes in and says, did you count the napkins that she was given too? how close were these people to see what actually the first lady was eating on a burger? she's got a privacy issue. for the most part, people are saying this is a nonissue, she's trying to promote better health and consciousness aboutt what people are working. >> apparently it was a washington reporter who saw her eating all of is. >> i don't eat burgers but you do. what do you get when you go to -- >> shake shack? i would say this would be sort of standard for me. so there you go. i used to work at mcdonald's.

>> you, did that's right. in canada. >> 2 1/2 years. >> what did you eat on your break? >> i got

this morning on "world news now," controversial counselor. he's a presidential candidate's husband and through his practice he promises to cure homosexuality. >> it could become a campaign issue for minnesota republican michele bachmann. it's'suesday, july 12th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning. i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm daniel sieberg in for rob nelson. dr. bachmann's patients told abc news their treatment involved christian prayer to try to change their sexual orientation. you'll hear what michele bachmann had to say about her husband's practice. they've been on the campaign trail. she's talked about how important he is to their relationship.

he's a marriage counselor. a lot of controversy surrounding these comments and how they treat homosexuals. >> that's right and her very outspoken opinions about this issue and gay marriage, which here in new york state has really turned a corner. also to highlight how important is the spouse in terms of running for president, the first mate. >> it does come up. also coming up, safety questions at the theme park and thrill rides that are there. how texas roller coaster riders got stuck 14 stories up and how they got down as well. this is the second story that we've had in just about a week. and you can imagine -- >> these always don't end well and you can imagine how scary that would be. everybody who's been on a roller coaster at one point imagines that this could happen. >> no hands. i stick to the teacups. >> keep the hands up. later, what dedication by a fallen seasonal's family. they knew he adopted a stray dog in afghanistan. how they located the pup and flew her to their hometown, sight unseen. this is a wonderful story about a man's best friend.

>> dedication to dogs and pets in our lives, which many people really think is worthwhile. incredible partners. >> and how important they are for soldiers and service people serving overseas. they really develop this tight bond with their pets. >> i think a very few of us can really understand. great story comingngp there. first, tea party favorite michele bachmann has zoomed to the top of the polls as she campaigns for president in iowa. >> but there are questions about how the counseling center she and her husband run back in minnesota are run. an outside group took undercover video inside the center after bachmann's husband denied he tries to cure gay people. abc correspondent brian ross has details. >> reporter: michele bachmhmn tells supporters her husband marcus has been the key to her 33 years of happy marriage. >> i have a very big advantage because marcus has his ph.d. in counseling and he's a marriage counselor. >> reporter: dr. bachmann's brand of counseling is highly controversial and could become a campaign issue.

>> here's my husband, dr. marcus bachmann. >> reporter: operating out of suburban minneapolis, dr. bachmann runs a christian counseling firm. co-owned with his wife that at times, according to former patients, has tried to convert gay men into heterosexuals through prayer. >> his path for my therapy would be to read the bible and pray to god that i would no longer be gay. >> reporter: andrew ramirez of minneapolis was 17 when his family sent him to bachmann and associates where, he says, a counselor working for bachmann tried unsuccessfully to save him from his sin. >> god would forgive me if i was straight. >> reporter: dr. bachmann, who has described homosexuals as barbarians, denied as a false statement five years ago reports his clinic tries to convert gay men to straight. but undercover video shot just last month inside the clinic by a gay advocacy group seems to show some form of the practice is indeed offered.

>> the truth is god, god has designed our eyes to be attracted to the woman's body. to be attracted to, you know, everything. you know. to be attracted to her breasts. >> reporter: a member of the group told the clinic of feelings towards men and depression and asked if he could be rid of his homosexual urges through therapy and prayer. >> i think it's possible to be totally free of them. >> it's unambiguous. the goal was to change me from homosexual to heterosexual. >> reporter: asked about our report at a campaign appearance in iowa, michele bachmann would only say she was proud of the clinic. >> we're very proud of our business and we're proud of all job creators in the united states. >> reporter: in a statement to abc news, the campaign said that bach may be's clinic provides a variety of services. that because of patient confidentiality, it could not comment on any specific treatment including the so-called gay to straight therapy. brian ross, abc news, new york. >> this story really hits a nerve with the gay community. >> that's for sure. and the american psychological association says that converting gays through therapy and prayer, called

reparative therapy, is both ineffective and potentially harmful to the folks that go through that. so that's coming from some people who have really studied this issue. >> we'll see. congressional lawmakers meanwhile head back to the white hohoe this afternoon for another round of debt talks. the two sides remain deeply dividedeover how to solve the crisis. president obama refused to even consider a stop-gap extension of the nation's borrowing limitit republicans will not support a package that raises any taxes. there are easilies that two more murdock-owned papers in britain broke the law. reporters are accused of paying queen elizabeth's bodyguards for secret information, potentially jeopardizing the monarch's safety. they're also accused of accessing former prime minister gordon brown's bank information anand stealing the medical recos of his seriously ill baby son. it was anything but a normal commute for the riderer on the boston to portland amtrak line this morning. the train traveling at about 70 miles per hour slammed into a tractor-trailer, causing it to

burst into flames. the driver of that truck was killed but none of the 112 passengers or three crew members suffered life-threatening injuries on the train. of course, just last month an amtrak train in nevada collided with a semi truck killing six people. >> i'll be riding an amtrak train today, as a matter of fact. >> really? >> something to think about. >> where are you going? >> to d.c. 1,400 passengers ride the portland to boston route every day. >> big commuter line there. >> absolutely. and the train did push the truck more than 200 yards. >> you always hear the train is coming -- obviously doesn't have the same kind of brakecars do so you have to pay attention to that. very curious how that happens. it was a hellish ride, speaking of, for people at a north texas theme park too. the roller coaster took them up but it didn't quite bring them back down. >> even when they work i think roller coasters are terrifying. but these folks, they had to hike down from the top of that ride, it was about 14 stories high, no big deal. gary reeves has the details. >> reporter: the texas giant is back. climbing 14 stories up before

plunging its riders down at 79 degrees, the deepest drop of any wooden roller coaster in the world. its speed now in sharp contrast to sunday. when a worker reported hearing a noise and shut the coaster down, stranding two dozen passengers at the top. it took nearly half an hour for workers to walk them downstairs to safety. while the rebuilt ride has only been open since this spring, park officials say maintenance crews found one of its wheels had become worn. it's since been repaired and inspected and returned to service. six flags issued a statement saying, this ride is designed with a complex system of cross-checks that monitor every aspect of the ride. there is even the smallest indication that there's something out of the ordinary, the ride automatically stops. adding, we have the utmost confidence in our inspection procedures. and then there is this state law that requires $1 million worth of insurance for each ride and an annual inspection. six flags is in compliance. partial officials say they inspect their rides every day but they w were not willing to explain why a wheel on a brand-new ride would fail in the

first place. >> t t ride was reopened in april after being rebuilt with a higher peak and a steeper drop. a $10 million renovation they went through. >> as we were just talking about, the second time in three days that this ride had to be shut down which is just very scary. i'm not a roller coaster person. i know some people absolutely love the thrill. i'm not even a ferris wheel person to be honont. i'm more of a teacup person. that's what i like. the london bridge is not falling down thank goodness for that. but this one bridge sure is. this historic bridge was closed back in early 2009 because of structural problems. it's now closed for good. it's about 103 years old in pennsylvania. that's where this took place. it obviously was imploded. the new bridge is being built in its place and that bridge should open next year. it's called the charleroi-monessen bridge. highway patrol hope i said that right. the oven remains on full blast across the eastern half the country. on top of the heat some cities wewe slammed by hurricane-force winds. abc's scott goldberg reports on the extreme summer weather.

>> reporter: summer might have started three weeks ago but now the heat is really on. >> how hot do you think it is? >> 112. >> reporter: from a record-breaking 111 in wichita, kansas, to wichita falls, texas, where it's been above 100 basically since the beginning of june. >> this afternoon hot and humid -- >> so far just hot air. >> reporter: in parts of 18 states, the national weather service is issuing heat advisories, warning it's so hot it's getting unhealthy. and the wave is rolling east. here in new york they're predicting a couple of days in the mid 90s. not exactly record temps. but it's enough for a heat advisory in the city where the humidity makes it feel like triple digits. and now stormy weather in iowa and illinois, leaving 700,000 people without power and creating more than 200 flight cancelations at o'hare. in 24 hours, from one extreme to another. perhaps an official sign, if you needed one, summer of 2011 has begun.

scott goldberg for abc news, new york. >> seems like an appropriate time to talk about your tuesday forecast as we sweat it out here. another scorcher from texas to connecticut. several storms from montana to northern new england. rainy in albuquerque and salt lake city. cooler and damp in the pacific northwest, which sounds heavenly. scattered thunderstorms across the gulf coast. >> it really is the humidity, isn't it. 90s from new orleans to boston. 85 in chicago. 79 in the twin cities. and 93 in kansas city. upper 70s in sacramento. 71 in portland. and 87 degrees in billings. >> of course it is the summer. all right. the forecast for phoenix called for baseball-sized baseballs. major league baseball's annual home run derby it was the defense that actually stole the show. off the bat of yankees robinson cano, a ball boy makes a tremendous diving catch in short center field. take another look. >> how about that. very cool. cano asked his father to pitch to him in the derby and it paid

off as is the yankees second base man would go on to win the derby. that is the cool thing. it's baseball season, it's good to see that. i like that. are you ready? here he goes, he's winding it up. let's see that arm. righty or lefty? oh, come on. keisha, you're a baseball fan, ready? going to do a windup. there you go. >> oh, nice. >> and she catches it. >> we will be right back. ♪ [ sponge ] okay, team. time to tackle these greasy dishes. we're facing some toug opposition today. i'm gonna need my biggest player. a change in the lineup? that little squirt? [ cheers and applause ]

[ female announcer ] one e ttle of ultra dawn has the grease-cleaning power of two of the leading non-oncentrated brand, giving you double the cleaning ingredients in every drop. [ sponge ] way to go, kid. you really knocked the grease out of them. [ female announcer ] dawn does more... [ sponge ] so it's not a chore.

hó here would you go next if you had a hoveround power chair? the statue of liberty? the grand canyon? it's all possible ith a hoveround., tom: hi i'm tom kruse, inventor rand founder of hoveround., when we say you're free to see the world, we mean it. call today and get a free overound information kit,

that includes a video and full color brochure. dennis celorie: "it's by far the best chair i've ever owned." terri: "last year, 9 out of 10 people got their hoveround for "little or no money." jim plunkitt: "no cost. absolutely no cost to me." breaking news...when you call today, we'll include a free hoveround collapsible grabber with the purchase of your power chair. it reaches, it grabs, it's collapsible and it's portable. it goes wherever you go. get it free while supplies last. call the number on your screen to get your free video, brochure and your free hoveround collapsible grabber. call the number on your screen. for the very first time we've heard the heroic story of jaycee lee dugard from jaycee

herself. after speaking to abc's diane sawyer, many of you have shared your reactions with us. >> john alston from our affiliate station kgo found one of the officers who helped save jaycee dugard for her reaction. >> i was still alive. was still -- there was still hope. >> reporter: one of the people who fulfilled that hope and saved jaycee dugard is uc berkeley police officer allie jacobs who watched the interview from her east bay home. >> a little bit of nausea with hearing what really happened to her in her own words. but also just overwhelming pride at how strong she is. >> reporter: jacobs, a mother of two, and fellow police employee lisa campbell, noticed something wasn't right when philip garrido showed up at uc berkeley two years ago along with the two girls he fathered with dugard. jacobs and campbell provided the

tip that ended dugard's nightmare. >> things happen for a reason. i'm not really sure why we were the chosen ones to end this. all i know is that we both knew something wasn't right and we did something about it. >> reporter: officer jacobs has made overtures and would like to someday meet the woman she saved. >> i'd probably give her a big hug. just say that i'm sorry that it took so long. and i'm glad that her and her kids are okay. >> reporter: officer jacobs has gotten a phone call from jaycee dugard's mother who says not a day goes by that the family doesn't thank them for what they did. >> just incredible. and once again, if you missed that special, which was just an amazing insight into what she went through and how she got through it mentally, it will reair this saturday at 9:00 p.m. eastern. >> 8:00 p.m. central. jaycee dugard's book does come out today. coming up, the role that

james franco said made him feel very trapped and also millions of people saw it. >> couldn't hide from that. and the always camera shy richard simmons discovers a new way to get a little attention. he's really shy, that guy. >> was he wearing his shorts? that's all i want to know. >> stay tuned for "the skinny." ♪ [male announcer] for america's wounded warriors, sometimes coming home can be battle in itself. [crowd cheers] the uso provides every american a way to support our wounded warrrriors and their families. join us. visit uso.org to learn howou can make a difference in their lives. what? it's good to be back. the uso. until every one comes home.

speaking of skinny, that actually leads into our first story rather nicely. because we're talking about russell crowe trying to lose weight. that's not totally unusual except that he's tweeting about it. >> russell crowe tweets? >> he does tweet. >> everyone tweets but us. >> well, i'm kind of a part-time tweeter, twitterer. any hoof way. he's a fairly reclusive actor. he's taken to twitter to talk about trying to shed thihi63 pounds that he did gain for "body of lies" in 2008. he's been doing all sorts of things. riding a bike. he talks about how he's working with a trainer, he's got sore legs. he's been revealing these very grueling workouts. kind of an unusual bit of behavior for mr. crowe. >> remember when he used to work out by throwing phones at people? >> that really works the bicep

and lateral deltoid. >> especially when you wind up and huck it at the poor desk clerk. all right, good for him on the weight loss. that's a big congratulations to him. okay. we have been following this story from start to finish. we're talking about the other royal wedding that happened without the couple that's so happy. this is actually tragic if you ask me. prince albert and that beautiful bride charlene woodstock. we told you she really seemed to be not so happy about this wedding. there's even footage of her crying but not like the happy i just got married to this incredible man tears, but i tried to escape three times and the they confiscated my passport and i can't get away from this guy tears. turns out the honeymoon cut short by a full week. also sources at the hotel they stayed at in south africa are confirming by a hotel spokesperson that they stayed in separate hotel rooms. >> he just snores really loud, that's all. >> ten kilometers away, that's what they're saying. now they're saying that they once again left early. they're saying they left in separate cars. so this must be really hard on her, being that they have this other happy royal couple that really does seem to be in love.

and this might not be the thing. also the dna test for the paternity issue that's still ongoing. >> you got to wonder what's going on with that couple. all right. let's move on to james franco. he talks to "playboy." he says he was really uncomfortable while hosting the oscars. that some of the material he got didn't work out so well. he was very annoyed with some of the producers. felt like he got slighted. really felt out of place and like the stuff wasn't going to be funnyny unfortunately that's kind of how it came across, it was very awkward. >> i was sort of on that bandwagon of geez, you did a awful job. now when i read this article, i do sort of feel bad for him. he said, what are you going to do? he said, i'm on the boat, i saw the boat was sinking, i had no way to get off it. he didn't want to do it anymore. hosting the oscars, you can't really back out. it's like marrying prince albert, you've got to do it apparently. somebody who would have done it with great joy and in nylon short-shorts, richard simmons. he is joining the planking craze. the only reason we're talking about it is we have a picture of it. we wanted to share richard simmons planking. can we look?

>> that's like a double plank. is that the one we were going to show? >> is that what you call planking? >> there we go. >> other people call that different things. >> we're going to do that now, ready? >> that's okay. >> oh, no, we're out of time. darn it.

so i took my heartburn pill and some antacids. we're having mexican tonight, so another pill then? unless we eat later, then pill later? if i get a snack now, pill now? skip the snack, pill later... late dinner, pill now? aghh i've got heartburn in my head. [ male announcer ] stop the madness of treating frequent heartburn.

it's simple with prilosec otc. one pill a day. twenty-four hours. zero heartburn. no heartburn in the first place. great. here are some stories to watch today on abc news. funeral services today for first lady betty ford. up to 1,000 people, including michelle obama, plan to attend the memorial in california. wikileaks founder julian assange returns to court in london today to fight his extradition to sweden. he's wanted there on sexual misconduct charges. "atlantis" astronauts performed their only space walk of this mission today. they determined that some space junk near the international space station should not interfere. that's obviously good news. >> yeah, very y exting. and a very sad farewell to betty ford. a lot of people will miss her, that is for sure. >> quite a lady. finally this half hour it was a close call on this one. but here is our favorite story of the day. >> it's a feel-good one for sure. >> it is.

>> yeah. it involves a stray dog named pegasus, a fallen soldier, and a family's wish to make that dog one of their own. >> reporter: private conrad lewis was a people person. >> he was an outstanding young man, really. >> conrad was one of the most loyal people you've ever met. >> very gregarious. mixed with all sorts of people of all ages. >> reporter: before he was killed in afghanistan in february he'd formed a remarkable bond with a stray dog. >> he'd written about this dog that was in the compound. he just loved it. wrote a lot about her. >> reporter: conrad lewis was serving with the 3rd battalion, the parachute regiment. the dog was named pegasus after the regiment's emblem. >> when conrad came back christmas, he said that he wanted pegasus, to bring pegasus back when he came back at the so after he died, we thought that that's what he'd want us to do. so we set about doing it. >> reporter: it's taken some doing.

but thanks to his regiment, the afghan national police, and the charity which rescues animals from war, pegasus is now in the uk. although she hasn't yet got a new home. quarantine regulationsnsean she'll be in these kennels for six months. for centuries, dogs have played a crucial role during war time, whether it's sending messages or sniffing out land mines. but in peg's case it's been more a question of companionship and loyalty and the impact a dog can have on n a soldldr and a soldier's family. >> every day you come it's really hard to leave. >> pegasus is our last link with him, you know. i can't look after conrad but i can look after his to get, which is what he wanted. >> reporter: for pegasus, a new life as a family pet awaits. for the lewises, that can't come soon enough. >> that is a remarkable gift. >> amazing bond. >> what the family is doing. you can't underestimate the bond and the affection and loyalty a dog can give you.

>> they make great listeners too.